Hanging lamp fixture

ABSTRACT

A hanging lamp fixture having a concealed hair dryer therein is provided. The fixture is hung to the ceiling of a room to provide light in the room and may be converted to a hair dryer by moving the light sources to one side and lowering the fixture to the proper height over a chair.

United States Patent [191 Riblett Jan. 22, 1974 HANGING LAMP FIXTURE [75] Inventor: Edward L. Riblett, Winter Park,

Fla.

[73] Assignees: William S. Carson; James F. Hafele;

Roderick T. Wilson; William W. Gluyas, Jr.; John H. Day, part interest to each [22] Filed: June 27, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 266,575

[52] US. Cl 34/99, 34/88, 34/90, 219/220, 240/2 R [51] Int. Cl A45d 20/24, F261;) 19/00 [58] Field of Search 34/90, 91, 96-100, 34/88, 243 X; 219/220; 240/9 A, 2 R, 78 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Meyer 219/220 3,337,724 8/1967 DeFlandre 240/2 R 986,383 3/1911 I-Iangstrom.. 240/88 R 3,068,341 12/1962 Ortiz 219/220 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 915,436 1/1963 Great Britain 34/99 Primary Examiner-Kenneth W. Sprague Assistant Examiner-James C. Yeung Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Duckw0rth, Hobby & Allen [5 7] ABSTRACT A hanging lamp fixture having a concealed hair dryer therein is provided. The fixture is hung to the ceiling of a room to provide light in the room and may be converted to a hair dryer by moving the light sources to one side and lowering the fixture to the proper height over a chair.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures HANGING LAMP FIXTURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Referring now to FIG. 1, a hanging lamp is illus- The present invention relates to hanging lamp fix- 5 trated hanging from a ceiling 11 and providing light to tures and more particularly to a combination of a hangin g lamp fixture which may be converted to a hair dryer and which conveniently conceals the hair dryer when not in use.

Hanging lamps have been commonly used in the past for lighting tables or portions of rooms and are usually connected to the ceiling of a room and hung by cord or chain from the ceiling, with the electrical cord either connected directly to an electrical outlet box in the ceiling, or run to an electrical outlet in the wall. Hanging lamps of this type frequently provide for adjusting the height of the hanging lamp for the particular location and in fixtures for hanging over tables these lamps frequently provide means for quick and easy adjustment of the height of the hanging lamp.

The present invention utilizes some of the features of the prior art, but is more particularly directed towards an inconspicuous means for storing a hair dryer, which does not require lifting and moving for each use.

Hair dryers of all types have been provided in the past and these vary from portable types with flexible plastic head covers to commercial types which include the chairs and controls built in with the rest of the hair dryer. Intermediate types include models for standing on tables or for setting on the floor in a manner similar to pole lamps which may be adjusted for height by the telescoping of the pole or by some similar arrangement. V

The present invention, on the other hand, conceals a hair dryer and may be utilized in motels, homes or commercial establishments and which has an esthetic appearance, and which acts as a lamp fixture when not being used as a hair dryer. The same lamps may be utilized to provide a light source for reading while drying hair.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a hanging lamp and hair dryer fixture having a hanging lamp fixture with means for attaching the lamp fixture to a ceiling, or the like. The height of the hanging lamp fixture may be quickly adjusted as desired. A movable light source is movably connected to the lamp fixture in a manner to conceal the head cover for the hair dryer unit, so that when the lamp fixture is used solely as a lamp it does not have the appearance of a hair dryer. The light source can be quickly moved out of the way of the head cover and the unit lowered onto the head of an individual sitting in a chair for drying the individuals hair.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects, features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from a study of the written description and the drawings in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention providing a reading light source for a seated person;

FIG. 2 shows the embodiment of FIG. 1 in a second form being used as a hair dryer and reading light source for a sitting person; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of portions cut away to show the operation of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2.

an individual 12 sitting in a chair 13 reading a book 14. A lamp fixture 10 is connected by an electrical cord 15 to a ceiling hook 16. A cord 15 may be provided with a decorative coating, if desired, and also may have an electrical cable with reinforcing wire or cord inside the decorative covering to provide additional support for the unit 10. The cord 15 may be hung to the ceiling in any manner desired, but a hook 16 is illustrated for hooking an eye portion 17 in the wire 15 over the hook 16, and in the embodiment illustrated, cord 15 passes through an eye 18 and plugs into a wall outlet 20.

It should of course be clear that an electrical outlet or box could be installed in the ceiling 11 for a permanent installation by connecting the electrical circuit directly to the cord 15 without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The cord passes through a container 21 which includes the mechanism for adjusting the height of the fixture 10 and passes through the top 22 of the fixture 10. Fixture 10 has an outside container 23 which is shaped in a decorative pattern and color, if desired, and has a top 22 with a plurality of holes or apertures therein and has light source containers 25 and 26 on the bottom thereof, so that looking into the bottom will show only a lucid lamp cover, and as more clearly illustrated in FIG. 2 the lamp 10 has been pulled down to make the cord 15 longer between the top 21 of the fixture 10 and the ceiling 11 while allowing some of the cord 15 to extend out of the casing 21 where it has been rolled onto a spool. In this view the light source containers 25 and 26 have been rotated away from the bottom of the container 23, opening up the bottom for the individual 12 head to be inserted into the fixture 10. The light sources 25 and 26 are still providing light for the individual 12 to read her book 14 while drying her hair. This embodiment is the same as illustrated in FIG. 1 and includes the electrical outlet 20 with the cord 15 passing through an eye 18 and through a hook 16 where it is looped into an eye 17 prior to passing through the container 21 and connecting to the fixture 10, having a cover 23 with the openings 24 in the top 21.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the two operating positions of the fixture 10, one acting as a decorative lamp fixture for providing light in a room and then as a hair dryer by lowering the fixture to the right height then utilizing any available chair 13 moving the lights 25 and 26 to their second position and turning on the hair dryer.

FIG. 3 more clearly illustrates the operation of the unit and has the cord 15 tied into a loop 17 with a metal brad, or the like, 30. The cord passes through the container 21 where it is wrapped around a spool 31 which is connected to a pin or shaft 32 and to a screw-holding bracket 33. Cord 15 wraps around a spool 31 and may be held to the spool at one point, and the spool may be spring loaded so that lifting or lowering the lamp fixture 10 will automatically raise or lower the height of the lamp fixture and hold the lamp fixture in the new position with a minimum of effort and time expended. The cord 15 passes through openings 34 in the bracket 32, and the pins 32 are connected to the bracket 32 at 35.

The electricalcord then passes through the top 21 having a center hole 36 for the cord to pass through and additional holes 24 for the fiow of air as illustrated by the arrows. Inside the casing 23 there is an electrical motor 37 driving a fan 38 which sucks air through the openings 24 of the top 21 and drives it past heating coils 40 for heating the air and driving air through openings 41 in a head cover 42, as illustrated by the arrows.

It should of course be realized that any type of air circulating and heating unit desired can be utilized without departing from the scope of the present invention, and that the fans and heating units can be commercially purchased as a unit, if desired. The head cover 42 protects the head from the heating element 40, and also provides circulation of the air around the hair of the person having their head inserted into the head cover 42. Passageways 43 allow the flow of air between the sides 23 of the container and the sides of the cover 42 to allow the air to circulate from all sides of the cover 42 in any desired patterns in accordance with the openings 41 and shape of the cover 42. The lamp casings 25 and 26 are pinned with a pin or shaft 44 to the casing 23 for rotation thereon and have a decorative casing 26 with a loosened cover 45 which allows the passage of light from the fluorescent tubes 46. It will again be clear that fluorescent lights are preferred but are not necessary to the operation of the invention, and to utilize fluorescent lights would require a ballast or transformer and starters which are not illustrated.

It should also-be noted that it is anticipated that the lamps 46 will be operated by the electrical power being received through the cord 15 but that battery sources can be utilized. A plurality of openings 47 are provided in the top 48 of the container 26 and 25 to allow the circulation of air for cooling of the electric light sources 46. The preferred embodiment illustrates the containers 25 and 26 rotating on pins 44, but it is also anticipated that the lamp casings 25 and 26 could be moved in other manners such as sliding in tracks and that different numbers and shapes of light and casings 25 and 26, as well as light sources 46 can be utilized without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

It will of course be clear to those skilled in the art at this point that a preferred embodiment of a hanging lamp having a concealed hair dryer have been provided, but it should also be clear that other embodiments are contemplated, and any number of materials can be utilized to manufacture the unit. In a typical unit the fan and heating elements will be purchased commercially as a unit and the casing 23, 25 and 26 and head cover 42 can be injection molded of a polymer material. Accordingly, this invention is not to be construed as limited to the particular forms disclosed c. movable light source means movably connected to said lamp fixture, said movable light source means including a plurality of light sources located in casings and movable from a first to a second position;

(1. head cover adapted to cover at least a portion of a persons head when said light'source is in a first position, said head cover being located in said lamp fixture and concealed by said light source casings in a second position;

e. hair drying means located in and attached to said lamp fixture for drying hair on a person s head covered by said head cover, whereby said hanging lamp fixture converts to a hair dryer and provides reading light to a person drying their hair.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means for adjusting the hanging height of said lamp fixture includes an electrical cord adapted to provide power to said hair drying means and to said light source.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which said means for adjusting the hanging height of said lamp fixture includes a spool mounted in a bracket and having said electrical cord looped therearound so that said spool can rotate to wind and unwind electrical cord thereonto for varying the height said lamp fixture is hanging.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said light source casings are pinned to rotate in front of said head cover and provide light in either position.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said hair drying means includes an electric motor driven from at least one heating coil and said head cover has opening therein whereby heated air may be circulated through said head cover to dry a persons hair.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3 in which said lamp fixture includes a casing having opening in the top thereof to allow the passage of air.

7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which said light source casing has fluorescent bulbs therein and has opening in the top of said casing to allow the circulation of air.

8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 2 in which said electrical cord includes means for attaching the cord to the ceiling of a room. 

1. A hanging lamp and hair dryer fixture comprising in combination: a. hanging lamp fixture having means for hanging said lamp fixture from a room ceiling; b. means for adjusting the hanging height of said lamp fixture by adjustments to said means for hanging said lamp fixture; c. movable light source means movably connected to said lamp fixture, said movable light source means including a plurality of light sources located in casings and movable from a first to a second position; d. head cover adapted to cover at least a portion of a person''s head when said light source is in a first position, said head cover being located in said lamp fixture and concealed by said light source casings in a second position; e. hair drying means located in and attached to said lamp fixture for drying hair on a person''s head covered by said head cover, whereby said hanging lamp fixture converts to a hair dryer and provides reading light to a person drying their hair.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means for adjusting the hanging height of said lamp fixture includes an electrical cord adapted to provide power to said hair drying means and to said light source.
 3. The apparatus according to claim 2 in which said means for adjusting the hanging height of said lamp fixture includes a spool mounted in a bracket and having said electrical cord looped therearound so that said spool can rotate to wind and unwind electrical cord thereonto for varying the height Said lamp fixture is hanging.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said light source casings are pinned to rotate in front of said head cover and provide light in either position.
 5. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said hair drying means includes an electric motor driven from at least one heating coil and said head cover has opening therein whereby heated air may be circulated through said head cover to dry a person''s hair.
 6. The apparatus according to claim 3 in which said lamp fixture includes a casing having opening in the top thereof to allow the passage of air.
 7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which said light source casing has fluorescent bulbs therein and has opening in the top of said casing to allow the circulation of air.
 8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 2 in which said electrical cord includes means for attaching the cord to the ceiling of a room. 